Hydraulic jig for correction of mis-alignment between joints of plates

ABSTRACT

A hydraulic jig for aligning plates edge-to-edge prior to welding provided with a first hydraulic jack for clamping a first plate having a width within a predetermined range in the direction of its width and thickness and also provided with hydraulic jacks for exerting pressure to a second plate in the direction of its width and thickness.

Waited States Patent lUne et al.

[ Jan. 15, 1974 HYDRAULIC JIG FOR CORRECTION OF MlS-ALIGNMENT BETWEENJOINTS OF PLATES inventors: Tatuyuki Une, Hiroshima-ken;

Akira Kamata, Tokyo, both of Japan Assignees: lshikawajima-HarimaJokogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo; Kabushiki Kaisha Osaka Jack Seisakusho,Osaka-shi, Osaka-fu, Japan Filed: Feb. 22, 1972' Appl. No.: 227,917

Foreign. Application Priority Data Feb. 23, 1971 Japan .....46/ os04 uU.S. Cl. 29/200 P lint. Cl. B23p 19/00 [58] Field of Search 29/200 P,200 J, 29/200 R, 200 A, 203 P, 203 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 3,259,964 7/1966 Engel 29/200 P Primary Examiner-Thomas H. EagerAtt0rneyScrivener Parker Scrivener & Clarke [57] ABSTRACT A hydraulicjig for aligning plates edge-to-edge prior to welding provided with afirst hydraulic jack for clamping a first plate having a width within apredetermined range in the direction of its width and thickness and alsoprovided with hydraulic jacks for exerting pressure to a second plate inthe direction of its width and thickness.

2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Recently larger and larger vessels areconstructed so that the prior art manual operation for welding the shellblocks or subassemblies becomes extremely difficult.

In the prior art method, a large quantity of misalignment correctionpieces are used, and erection is made by use of hammers and wedges.

The defects of the prior art method are that a large quantity ofmaterials and much cost are required; a long time is required forattaching the pieces; the consumption of welding rods and electric poweris increased; and the spots at which the pieces are attached must befinished after welding.

The present invention was made to overcome these defects of the priorart method, and provides a hydraulic jig for correction of mis-alignmentbetween joints of plates characterized in that a jig proper of said jighas a hydraulic jack for clamping the first plate having a width withina predetermined range in the direction of its width and thickness, ahydraulic jack for clamping the first plate only in the direction of itswidth, a pair of hydraulic jacks for exerting the pressures to thesecond plate in the direction of its width, and a pair of hydraulicjacks for exerting the pressures to the second plate in the direction ofits thickness.

The present invention will become more apparent from the followingdescription of the preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing.

FIG. I is a top view of a jig in accordance with th the direction oftheir thickness for alignment therebetween in the longitudinal directionthereof. By these hydraulic jacks 6, 7, 2 and 3, the mis-alignment inthe longitudinal and lateral directions of the face plates 9 presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a side view thereof looking in the direction indicated by thearrows A of FIG. I; I

FIG. 3 is a side view thereof looking in the direction indicated by thearrows B of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view looking in the direction of the arrows C of FIG.1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view thereof taken along the line DD of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary trasverse sectional view of a transverse frameof a vessel; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line EE of FIG. 6.

A l5-ton hydraulic jack for clamping and a S-ton hydraulic jack also forclamping are mounted in parallel with each other on a jig proper l inthe axial direction thereof. Clamp memers 4 whose ends are so formed asto clamp plates in the directions of their width and thickness as shownin FIG. 2 are symmetrically and rotatably fixed to the jig proper 1. Asshown in FIG. 3, similar clamp members 5 whose leading ends are soformed as to clamp the plates in the direction of their width arepivoted to the jig proper l. The other ends of the clamp members 4 arepivoted to the hydraulic jack 2, and the other ends of the clamp members5 are pivoted to the hydraulic jack 3 so that the clamp members 4 and 5are opened or closed as the hydraulic jacks 2 and 3 are actuated. A pairof IO-ton hydraulic jacks 6 for alignment between the lateral surfacesof the plates are symmetrically fixed to the jig proper l and areprovided with rollers 8 so that the plates may be exerted with thepressures in the direction of their width. A pair ofvertically-spaced-apart IO-ton hydraulic jacks 7 having rollers 8 attheir lower ends are also disposed to the jig proper I for exerting thepressures to the plates in and 9' can be corrected. Reference numeral 10designates the joint (to be welded) of the face plate.

Next the mode of operation will be described when the jig of the presentinvention is used to align the face plates 9 and 9' of the transverseframes in a vessel under construction as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

To correct mis-alignment between the joints of the face plates 9 and 9'as shown in FIG. I, the jig of the present invention is set to thejoints 10. Next the hydraulic jack 2 is extended to clamp the face plate9 in the directions of its width and thickness with the clamp members 4as shown in FIG. 2. The hydraulic jack 3 is actuated to clamp the faceplate 9 in the direction of its width with the clamp members 5 as shownin FIG. 3. Next the hydraulic jacks 6 and 7 are actuated to correct themis-alignment in the lateral and longitudinal directions of the faceplate 9 respectively. Thereafter, the tack welding is made, and the twoface plates 9 and 9 are welded together. Since the rollers 8 areattached to the ends of the hydraulic jacks 6 and 7, no lateral andeccentric loads are exerted to the hydraulic jacks 6 and 7. Either ofthe hydraulic jacks 6 or 7 may be actuated first.

In the embodiment described above, the jig of the present invention hasbeen described as being applied to the joints of the face plates of thetransverse frame in the vessel under construction, but it should beunderstood that the present invention is not limited only to theship-building in application. The present invention may be also used forcorrection of mis-alignments be- 5 tween the joints of face plates to betack-and-jointwelded in any other structure. Furthermore the presentinvention is not limited to that illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing.

As described above, the jig of the present invention has the hydraulicjack for clamping a plate having a width less than a predetermined widthin the directions of its width and thickness, the hydraulic jack forclamping the plate only in the direction of its width, the hydraulicjacks for exerting the pressures to the plate in the direction of itswidth; and the hydraulic jacks for exerting the pressures to the platein the direction of its thickness. Therefore, correction ofmis-alignment between the joints of face plates can be accomplished in asimple manner without the use of mis-alignment correction pieces. Thusthe defects encountered in the prior art method can be overcomed, andthe operation can be accomplished in a short time in a simple, efficientand safeguarded manner.

We claim:

1. A jig for aligning plates edge-to-edge prior to welding, havingattached thereto: a first hydraulic jack equipped with means forsecuring a first plate in relation to the jig by gripping it across itswidth and across its thickness; a second hydraulic jack spaced from thefirst and equipped with means for securing said first plate in relationto the jig by gripping it across its width only; a first pair ofhydraulic jacks for exerting pressure upon a second plate across itswidth and hence being about its movement in relation to the jig into adesired alignment with said first plate; and a second pair of hydraulicjacks for exerting pressure upon said second plate in the direction ofits thickness and hence bring for exerting the pressure to the secondplate in the direction of its width and the ends of the hydraulic jacksfor exerting the pressure to the second plate in the direction of itsthickness.

1. A jig for aligning plates edge-to-edge prior to welding, havingattached thereto: a first hydraulic jack equipped with means forsecuring a first plate in relation to the jig by gripping it across itswidth and across its thickness; a second hydraulic jack spaced from thefirst and equipped with means for securing said first plate in relationto the jig by gripping it across its width only; a first pair ofhydraulic jacks for exerting pressure upon a second plate across itswidth and hence bring about its movement in relation to the jig into adesired alignment with said first plate; and a second pair of hydraulicjacks for exerting pressure upon said second plate in the direction ofits thickness and hence bring about its movement in relation to the jigand hence into a desired alignment with said first plate.
 2. A hydraulicjig for correction and mis-alignment between joints of plates accordingto claim 1 wherein rollErs for exerting the pressure to the second plateare respectively attached to the ends of the hydraulic jacks forexerting the pressure to the second plate in the direction of its widthand the ends of the hydraulic jacks for exerting the pressure to thesecond plate in the direction of its thickness.